NORMAN, Okla. -- OU sophomore goalkeeper Jennifer Nichols was named the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Week after shutting out Arkansas on Sunday and limiting Saint Louis to one goal Friday.

It is the first such honor for Nichols who has helped OU to an early 2-0 record this season.

The conference also announced on Monday that Melissa Garey (Texas A&M) was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Kasey Moore (Texas) was tabbed the league’s top newcomer for the week ending on Aug. 28.

Nichols started off the weekend by coming up just short of holding Saint Louis, Conference USA’s regular season champion in 2004, scoreless for 90 minutes before the Billikens got on the board with under three minutes to play in regulation. Fortunately for the Tulsa, Okla., native, the OU offense tied the game and went on to score another goal with 25 seconds remaining in overtime. Nichols recorded one save in the overtime session and made 10 saves overall in 99:35 minutes of action.

On Sunday, Nichols and the OU defense shut down Arkansas at John Crain Field and defeated the Lady’Backs 3-0. Just two nights earlier, the Arkansas offense racked up five goals in a road game against Tulsa.

The shutout marked the first in Nichols’ collegiate career as the sophomore made two saves in the contest.

Nichols has a 0.47 goals-against-average with 12 saves on the season.

OU will return to action on Friday, Sept. 2 in the First Annual Big 12-Big Ten Challenge at Wisconsin. The Sooners will then travel to Iowa to battle the Hawkeyes in the final game of the challenge on Sunday. The weekend will mark the first ever games played against a school from the Big Ten Conference for the OU soccer program.

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